Today’s outing saw the missus and I over to Joe Coffee. The redundantly-named coffee shop with a name that you just can’t google. It’s nowhere near as prevalent as some other outfits in this city so the casual stroller might have to come upon it by accident.

You’ll know it when you do- the logo is an airy-blue text nestling a delicious cup of coffee in the middle, expressly promising the blissful sky-high buzz that comes with a rare brew. When it comes to coffee, Joe offers two choices. There is the daily drip coffee and then, for a few cents more, there is the featured blend. I opted, as I always do, for the featured blend while the wife went for the normal house variety. We almost made it out alive! but then Mrs. No Cream No Sugar tacked on a coconut cream donut at the end of our purchase adding a ridiculous amount of glucose onto a blog entry that is supposed to be about enjoying the simple pleasures of zero-calorie caffeinated New York.

I had a sip of her coffee before she added her cream and sugar. It was hot- McDonald’s lawsuit levels of hot even for a tiny sip. I will have this variety of coffee every now and then and it gets the job done but if you’re an astute coffee drinker go for the premium- you will taste where that extra twenty-five cents is going. The premium blend varies with the calendar. The experience varies but the result is always delicious.

The coffee has weight: the first sip is almost watery and borders on underwhelming. But navigating through the fluid ounces reveals more complex flavors and richness. That the coffee is cooling down as you savor every sip only amplifies the sensation. The last drink of your cup will reward you with a warm flavorful richness if it hasn’t cooled down too much.

While there may not be a Joe on every corner, they are typically situated near some of New York’s most memorable spots. You could be at Joe on 13th St, for example, in which case a walk over to Union Square Park would be in order. For today’s outing we’re at 75th and Lexington in the Upper East Side and, from there, a walk over to Central Park was in order. Arriving at the 72nd St exit we made our way to the Alice In Wonderland statue while the buzz started to takeover and I started my journey down the rabbit hole.

This was a seriously strong cup of coffee and by the time we reached the gates of the park my mind was running wild and wrote half of this blog post as well as reminded me to get groceries and inspiring me to change course in life. I tried to temper the energy with a little bit of sanity, kissed the wife goodbye, and walked through the park with a ferocity that let me tackle the rest of the work day.